


Three steps to friendship

by AlexielMihawk ENG (AlexielMihawk)



Category: Avengers Academy (Video Game), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Best Friends, Gen, Missing Scene, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-24 23:24:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6170770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexielMihawk/pseuds/AlexielMihawk%20ENG
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>«Do you think I'm stupid?»<br/>«No?»<br/>«Is that a: “Of course not”, or a: “I'm too scared to tell you that you are”?»<br/>«I think you are almost as clever as me, almost. I mean, I'm the best. Now what's all this about?»</p><p>A short story focusing on three moments of Tony and Janet friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three steps to friendship

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the last week of the CowT on the LJ community Mari di Challenge, with the prompt: Something new - a fandom (or a ship) you've never written about before.
> 
> So, few things before you start reading.  
> 1\. There might be some mistakes as english is not my native language, I apologize (feel free to signal them, so I can correct them)  
> 2\. It's the first time I write in this fandom and I hope everyone is IC, I tried to use some of the catchphrases the characters use in the game as well as referencing to some events that we know happened in canon, I mean in game.  
> 3\. I just wanted to write them, because I love them, Janet is my spirit animal, their friendship gives me life and I want everyone else to love them too.

«Do you think I'm stupid?»

Tony lifts his eyes from the book he's studying and glances at his best friend.

«No?»

«Is that a: “Of course not”, or a: “I'm too scared to tell you that you are”?»

He sighs, conscious he's done studying for the day; he knows that look, the one in Janet eyes. It could mean two things: the first one, she has something in mind and she's trying to lure him into helping her; the second one, someone was mean enough to notch her ego wall.

«I think you are almost as clever as me, almost. I mean, I'm the best. Now what's all this about?»

Janet giggles and sits on the corner of the library desk.

«You know? You are right! Just because I'm bubbly and funny and cute and tough and fashionable and feisty doesn't mean I'm not smart!»

«I think you forgot modest» Tony mocks her, but there's no malice in his words.

«Don't be silly Tony, you don't get as many followers as I have on socials by being modest».

«Don't make me ask how many you have, please» he groans, glancing at his historic ladies book (he'd never admit it, but he's just reached Jeanne d'Arc and he kind of have a crush on her) «What made you so depressed, anyway?»

«She said I'm vain, mediocre and stupid. And that I have a terrible fashion sense, I mean, I know that's impossible, but still…»

«She who?»

«Enchantress. You know what? I try to see the best in everyone, I mean I really try. But when it comes to her? I can't see anything. She's the blonde quintessence of wickedness and evil. I just hate her so much».

«Don't let her get on your nerves: she's, indeed, evil, also she might think she's better than all of us, but she has no friends».

«I guess you're right».

«Besides you shouldn't even listen to her, be more like me. I don't listen to anyone and I'm still as awesome as always!»

Janet glances at him and smirks softly.

«I think you meant as nerdy as always… Seriously, historic ladies?»

«What? I already know everything, it's hard to be perfect, you know? Also, Fury might or might not have scolded me for not taking things seriously, he said nobody respects me and no one thinks I could be a hero. But hey! Do you see me getting depressed for-»

«HE DID WHAT?» Janet almost falls from the desk.

Janet clenches her fists and squints her eyes so much that for a moment Tony is afraid she's going to blast away the desk.

«That big, old, meanie bastard!»

«Janet, it's ok, I swear. I mean he's right, I do not take things seriously».

«Shut up! I don't care what you take seriously, I'm still pissed, how dares he?»

Tony doesn't reply, he just closes his book and shrugs. Janet looks at him, puts a hand on his shoulder and smiles softly.

«You know? You are right, it doesn't matter what he says. I mean I know everyone respects you, you are a genius, Tony, everyone knows, everyone admires you. Besides, you don't have to prove anything to anyone, you are already a hero to me».

 

 

*

 

 

«Jan? Jan? Jan? JANET» Tony yells and his best friend jumps, just a little, startled by the sudden realisation that someone was calling her name.

«What?» she mutters «I was listening, I swear».

«No, you were not, and I should know, I never listen to people».

Wasp doesn't even look at him, she shrinks and starts flying around the tiny sand castle Loki built for her.

«Come on, could you at least talk to me?»

«I'm not really a fan of chit-chat».

«Actually you are, you never stop talking, well, apart from when you are taking selfies» he waits for a comment that never arrives «Do you… want to take one, now? A selfie, together I mean».

Janet keeps flying, without answering him. It's the first time he feels so ignored and invisible in the eye of his best friend and a new annoying sensation of discomfort starts to take over; it's painful to watch her behave like that, like the shadow of herself, it's also painful to feel so useless, discarded and forgotten. He's annoyed, but maybe -and just maybe- she's just messing with him.

«Jan? How do you think everybody feels about me making an army of robots?»

«Good idea, I don't really care, though».

 

Black Widow is still analysing the beach components when Tony shows up.

«Can I help?»

«Sorry what? I think my hearing might have been compromised».

«Look, there's no need to be sarcastic, I think you were right, so how can I help?»

Natasha scoffs and glances at him with a stern look.

«You went to the beach, didn't you? I told you not to, and now you are freaking me out, more than usually».

«Yes, yes I did, but not in that sense, I mean, I just talked to Janet, I didn't actually step on the beach».

«Oh, I'm surprised you even listened. So, now you believe I'm not paranoiac?»

«No, I still think you are, but I also think that in this particular situation you are right. And I want my best friend back».

Nat raises an eyebrow and smiles.

«What made you believe me?»

«I asked her how did she feel about me making an army of robots».

«That's a terrible idea, Tony, don't do that».

«I know, right?! That's what she's usually tells me! We even have this tiny board where we sign how many times a day I ask her and she didn't even care!»

«I don't know why, but I'm not even surprised; I should hang out with you guys less».

«Please, you can tell me how much you love hanging out with me later, but please do know that I'm flattered. So, what can I do to help you?»

«You really want her back, don't you?»

«Why are you even asking? Is that so weird? Am I being weird? I'm not. She's my best friend: who else am I going to take selfies with? Who's going to give me fashion tips? Besides she's had a bunch of wonderful ideas on how we could spend the day at the beach and now she's ignoring me and we can't do any of them. Of course I want her back».

 

 

*

 

 

Janet is worried.

Not a worried-worried type of uneasiness, not like the Natasha kind of worried, she doesn't feel the urge to spy and check if everything is in the right place; she's feeling more the Steve's kind of worried. The distressing idea that something might go wrong and someone she cares about might get hurt. To be more specific, the missing words she's looking for are: explode and Tony.

When she signed up for the Academy, she didn't expect they'll become so close; well of course, at the very beginning it was only the two of them, and, being they similar in many respects, it was only obvious they would have gotten along. Not to forget how perfect they look together in selfies.

Now, after a few months from the opening of the school, she's started to wonder whether it was a good idea to involve Tony; she loves him, he's her best friend, her favourite super hero, he prompts her to be better, but he's also reckless and she can't hide the fact that she's scared. Not of him, of course, but for him.

She's all for beating up villain's asses, but as a team; and it's not that she thinks Tony can't handle a giant blue hulk-looking monster with the brain of a peanut, but she's still worried.

«If this goes bad, talk to J.A.R.V.I.S. we've been designing something for you».

«I'm gonna be so mad if you die» she mutters, now even more worried.

 _That's a terrible feeling_ , she thinks, _is_ _that how people feel all the time_?

«Good. You're scary when you're mad» Tony laughs, but he stops after a few seconds, looking at Janet in a slightly concerned way «I mean pretty, scary in a pretty way, not scary in a mean way».

She forces a smile to appear on her lips, she's not even annoyed, she just wants him to stop talking about possible catastrophic future events that include the death of one of them.

«We already have mean ballerina for that».

«I heard you!»

They both chuckle, glancing quickly ad Natasha, whose hearing is incredibly good when it comes to rumours regarding her persona; Tony lifts his arm, and places it kindly on his best friend's shoulder.

«Trust me, it's gonna be fine, something it's going to explode, someone's gotta have is ass kicked and BAM. I'll be back before you notice».

«You'd better, and Tony?»

«Yes?»

«Please, please, please. Make sure they don't shut off our wi-fi. Again».

 

 


End file.
